Air conditioning units



May 17, 1966 R. F. LAUER 3,251,406

AIR CONDITIONING UNITS Filed Oct. 22, 1963 3,251,406 AIR CONDITIONING UNITS Rodney F. Lauer, Staunton, Va., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., :1 cor-v poration of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 317,929 3 Claims. (Cl. 165-48) This invention relates to air conditioning units which include refrigeration units for chilling indoor air, and which include furnaces for heating indoor air.

It is desirable in many apartment buildings to provide each apartment with its own year-around, air conditioning unit which includes a refrigeration unit for chilling indoor air in summer, and which includes a fuel burning furnace for heating the indoor air in winter. Providing each such furnace with a chimney or stack for supplying a draft and for disposing of the products of combustion is costly, unsightly, and in many buildings, cannot be accomplished. Neither is it possible in most such buildings to use a common chimney or stack for the furnaces of all its apartments.

This invention combines an air chilling unit and a furnace in a single unit in which common components are used during both air chilling and air heating, thus reducing the size, cost and complexity of the unit. This invention also dispenses with the need for a chimney or stack for the furnace of such a unit by discharging the flue gas to atmosphere through a near-by wall of a building in which, the unit is located, and uses a fan for providing air for combustion, and for forcing the flue gas through an opening in the wall.

Under certain outdoor conditions, water vapor contained in the flue gas discharged through such a wall opening may be converted to steam which is unsightly and undesired. A feature of this invention is that outdoor air drawn in by the fan which provides the air for combustion is used to chill the flue gas before it is discharged through the wall opening, for condensing the water vapor in the flue gas.

An object of this invention is to reduce the number of components required for a combined air chilling unit and an air heating furnace.

Another object of this invention is to use an opening in a wall of a building for the intake of condenser cooling air, and for the intake of combustion air for a fuel burning furnace, and to use another opening in the wall to discharge the condenser cooling air and the flue gas of the furnace.

Another object of this invention is to use an opening in a wall of a building for the discharge of the flue gas of a fuel burning furnace; to use another opening in the wall for supplying combustion air, and to use the incoming air to cool the flue gas before it is discharged.

This invention will now be described with reference to the annexed drawing which is a side section of an air conditioning unit embodying this invention.

The air conditioning unit has a metal casing, the outer side wall of which extends alongside the inner surface of a vertically extending wall 11 forming an exterior wall of a building in which the unit is located. A vertically extending, inner casing wall 12 forms with a horizontally extending, upper casing wall 13, :a horizontally extending, intermediate casing wall 14, and the upper portion of the wall 10, a compartment 15 having insulation 16 along its top, bottom and inner sides. compartment 15 contains a hermetic refrigerant compressor 19 supported on its bottom. A condenser coil 20 extends across the interior of the compartment 15 above the compressor 19. A centrifugal fan 21 is within the compartment 15 above the coil 20. The fan 21 has an The 3,251,406 Patented May 17, 1966 outlet duct 22 having a lower portion extending through an opening in the wall 13, and has an upper portion extending horizontally into an opening 23 in the wall 11.

The wall 11 has an outdoor air inlet opening 25 aligned with an opening 24 in the casing wall 10 opposite the compressor 19. An outdoor air outlet opening 26 extends through the wall 12 and insulation 16 adjacent to the top of the condenser coil 20.

The casing of the unit has a horizontally extending bottom wall 27 on a floor 18 of the building; has a vertically extending inner wall 28 aligned with the wall 12, and has .a horizontally'extending intermediate wall 29 extending from the bottom of the wall 28 above the' bottom wall 27, and spaced from the wall 27 to form a recirculated air passage 32. Insulation 31 extends along the inner surfaces of the walls 27, 28 and 29, and of the wall 10 below the wall 14. An evaporator coil 33 extends between the insulation 31 alongside the lower portion of the wall 10 and the insulation 31 alongside the wall 28 and is spaced below the wall 14 and above the wall 27. The outer end of the passage 32 discharges into the space below the evaporator coil 33.

The casing of the unit has a vertically extending inner wall 34 and a horizontally extending inner wall 35 extending between the lower end portion of the wall 12 and the wall 34. A centrifugal fan 36 is supported from the wall 35 and has its outlet connecting with an opening 37 in the wall 35. Inlet 39 of the fan 36 opens into the space above the evaporator coil 33 between the latter and the wall 14. The casing of the unit has an upper horizontally extending wall 40 below the wall 13, and which forms with the walls 12 and 35, and with the portion of the wall 34' above the wall 35, a furnace chamber 42. Insulation 43 extends along the inner surfaces of the walls 34 and 40.

A conventional, furnace heat-exchanger 44 consisting of parallel, finned tubes 45 extends at an angle across the interior of the chamber 42. A conventional gas burner 46 is supported within a combustion air chamber 17 around the lower end of the tubes 45. The burner 46 would be connected to conventional gas supply tubing and a control valve which are not shown.

The wall 40 has a flue gas outlet opening 48 connectingwith a conventional bonnet enclosing the upper ends of the tubes 45, and which is connected by a duct 49 to a flue gas inlet opening 50 adjacent to the outer end of an outer, cylindrical casing 51 of sheet metal which has closed outer and inner ends 52 and 53 respectively. The casing 51 has an outlet opening 59 adjacent to its inner end 53 which is connected by a duct 60' to flue gas outlet duct 61. An inner, cylindrical casing 63 of sheet metal, having a smaller diameter than the casing 51, is supported within the latter concentric therewith, and has radially extending fins 65 of sheet metal. The inner casing 63 hasan outer end connected by a duct 66 to the outdoor air outlet opening 26 of the compartment 15, and has an open inner end connected by a duct 68 to the inlet of centrifugal blower 69, the outlet of which is connected to the duct 61, and to a duct 70 connected to a combustion air inlet opening 71 in the casing wall 34 and insulation 43 opposite to and connecting with the combustion air chamber 47.

The cylindrical casings 51 and 63 form a heat exchanger for cooling with outdoor air drawn in by the blower 69, the flue gas of the furnace.

The outer end of the flue gas duct 61 discharges into the wall opening '23 into which the duct 22 for the condenser air discharges. The duct 61 has a sheet 73 with an orifice 74 therein, between the ducts 60 and 70 for equalizing the pressures at the outlet of the duct 60 and the interior of the duct 61, between the ducts 60 and 68.

The casing wall 40 has a conditioned air outlet opening 80 connected by air distributing duct 81 to the indoor space to be conditioned.

The compressor 19 is connected by a discharge gas tube 82 to one end of the condenser coil 20, the other end of which is connected by tube 83 and expansion valve 84 to one end of the evaporator coil 33, the other end of which is connected by suction gas tube 85 to the compressor.

The recirculated air duct 32 is connected by a duct 90 containing an air filter 91, to the conditioned space.

Air cooling operation The compressor 19 and the fans 21 and 36 are started. The compressor supplies discharge gas through the tube 82 into the condenser coil 29. Liquid from the coil 20 passes through the tube 83 and expansion valve 84 into the evaporator coil 33. The fan 21 draws outdoor air through the opening 24 in the building wall 11 into the compartment Where it cools the compressor 19 and the condenser coil 20, and discharges the heated outdoor air through the duct 22. and opening 23 in the wall 11 to outdoors. The fan 36 draws in air from the conditioned space through the ducts 9t} and 32 and the filter 91, passes this air over the surface of the evaporator coil 33 and into the furnace compartment 42 where the air passes over the surface of the furnace coil 44, and then discharges the chilled air through the distribution duct 81 into the conditioned space. The furnace coil 44 is inactive at this time.

Air heating operation The fan 36 and the blower 69 are started. The gas burner 46 is lighted. The blower 69 draws outdoor air through the opening 24 in the building wall 11 into the compartment 15 over the surfaces of the compressor 19 and the condenser coil which are inactive at this time, through the opening 26, the inner cylindrical casing 63 and the duct 68 into its inlet, and discharges a portion of this air as air for combustion, through the duct 70 into the combustion compartment 49 from which it passes with gas from the burner 46 as flue gas through the tubes 45 into the bonnet 55. The flue gas passes from the bonnet 55 through the duct 49 into the outer cylindrical casing 51 in heat exchange contact with the inner casing 63 and its fins 65, and then through the ducts 60 and 61 and the opening 23 in the building Wall 11 to outdoors. The flue gas passing through the outer cylindrical casing 51 is cooled by the outdoor air passing through the inner cylindrical. casing 63.

The other portion of the outdoor air drawn in by the blower 69 is discharged through the orifice 74 into the duct 61 where it mixes with the flue gas and further cools the latter. Thus, the water vapor in the flue gas is chilled to its dew point temperature, and is carr ed out the opening 23 as entrained water drops instead of being converted to steam when it passes out the opening 23 to contact the outdoor air.

The fan 39 draws air from the conditioned space through the ducts 9G and 32 and the filter 91 and over the surface of the evaporator coil 33 which is inactive at this time, and blows this air over the surface of the furnace coil 44 and through the distribution duct 81 into the indoor space to be heated.

By drawing the air for combustion and for diluting the flue gas, over the surfaces of the compressor 19 and the condenser coil 20 during air heating operation, a single inlet opening 24 in the building wall 11 can be used for also supplying outdoor air for cooling the compressor and the condenser coil during air cooling operation.

The outlet opening 23 in the building wall 11 serves to discharge the outdoor air drawn in during air cooling operation, and to discharge the flue gas during air heating operation.

What is claimed, is:

1. In combination with a building having an exterior wall with spaced-apart outdoor air inlet means and exhaust means therein; an air conditioning unit within-said building and having a casing with walls forming a first compartment, forming a second compartment alongside said compartment, forming a third compartment below said compartments, and forming a recirculated air passage having an outlet within said third compartment; said first compartment having an air inlet opening, having means to connect said air inlet opening to said inlet means, having an outdoor air outlet opening above said inlet opening, having means to connect said air outlet opening to said exhaust means, containing an outdoor air fan having its outlet connected to said outlet opening, containing a condenser coil and a refrigerant compressor, and having a second outdoor air outlet opening below said fan; said second compartment containing a furnace coil comprising a plurality of tubes having upper and lower ends, containing a bonnet enclosing said upper ends, containing a combustion air chamber enclosing said lower ends, containing a recirculated air opening at one side of said furnace coil, and containing a conditioned air outlet at the opposite side of said furnace coil; said third compartment containing an evaporator coil having one side extending across said outlet of said passage, and containing an indoor air fan at the opposite side of said evaporator coil, said indoor fan having its inlet within said third compartment and having its outlet connected to said recirculated air opening; a combustion air fan connected to draw outdoor air in through said inlet means and said inlet opening into said first compartment, through said second opening, and to supply the indrawn air into said combustion chamber; a duct connecting said bonnet to said exhaust means, and meansfor cooling the flue gas passing through said duct with outdoor air drawn in by said combustion air fan, refrigerant expansion means, said compressor and said evaporator and condenser coils being connected in a refrigeration circuit with said expansion means connected in said circuit between said condenser and evaporator coils.

2. The invention claimed in claim 1 in which said cooling means comprises a heat exchanger having a surface with one side in contact with said flue gas and with its opposite side in contact with said indrawn outdoor air.

3. The invention claimed in claim 2 in which said heat exchanger comprises an inner cylinder through which said indrawn outdoor air flows, and an outer cylinder around said inner cylinder through which said flue gas flows.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,869,939 8/1932 Latimer 160 X 2,517,398 8/ 1950 McCollum 126-110 2,517,446 8/1950 Ryder et al 110-160 X 2,773,676 12/1956 Boyle et al -48 X 3,120,225 2/1964 Stark et al 12685 X 3,171,402 3/1965 Carlson 126-l16 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES SUKALO, Examiner.

A. W. DAVIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A BUILDING HAVING AN EXTERIOR WALL WITH SPACED-APART OUTDOOR AIR INLET MEANS AND EXHAUST MEANS THEREIN; AN AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WITHIN SAID BUILDING AND HAVING A CASING WITH WALLS FORMING A FIRST COMPARTMENT, FORMING A SECOND COMPARTMENT ALONGSIDE SAID COMPARTMENT, FORMING A THIRD COMPARTMENT BELOW SAID COMPARTMENTS, AND FORMING A RECIRCULATED AIR PASSAGE HAVING AN OUTLET WITHIN SAID THIRD COMPARTMENT; SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT HAVING AN AIR INLET OPENING, HAVING MEANS TO CONNECT SAID AIR INLET OPENING TO SAID INLET MEANS, HAVING AN OUTDOOR AIR OUTLET OPENING ABOVE SAID INLET OPENING, HAVING MEANS TO CONNECT SAID AIR OUTLET OPENING TO SAID EXHAUST MEANS, CONTAINING AN OUTDOOR AIR FAN HAVING ITS OUTLET CONNECTED TO SAID OUTLET OPENING, CONTAINING A CONDENSER COIL AND A REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR, AND HAVING A SECOND OUTDOOR AIR OUTLET OPENING BELOW SAID FAN; SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT CONTAINING A FURNACE COIL COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TUBES HAVING UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, CONTAINING A BONNET ENCLOSING SAID UPPER ENDS, CONTAINING A COMBUSTION AIR CHAMBER ENCLOSING SAID LOWER ENDS, CONTAINING A RECIRCULATED AIR OPENING AT ONE SIDE OF SAID FURNACE COIL, AND CONTAINING A CONDITIONED AIR OUTLET AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID FURNACE COIL; SAID THIRD COMPARTMENT CONTAINING AN EVAPORATOR COIL HAVING ONE SIDE EXTENDING ACROSS SAID OUTLET OF SAID PASSAGE, AND CONTAINING AN INDOOR AIR FAN AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID EVAPORATOR COIL, SAID INDOOR FAN HAVING ITS INLET WITHIN SAID THIRD COMPARTMENT AND HAVING ITS OUTLET CONNECTED TO SAID RECIRCULATED AIR OPENING; A COMBUSTION AIR FAN CONNECTED TO DRAW OUTDOOR AIR IN THROUGH SAID INLET MEANS AND SAID INLET OPENING INTO SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT, THROUGH SAID SECOND OPENING, AND TO SUPPLY THE INDRAWN AIR INTO SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER; A DUCT CONNECTING SAID BONNET TO SAID EXHAUST MEANS, AND MEANS FOR COOLING THE FLUE GAS PASSING THROUGH SAID DUCT WITH OUTDOOR AIR DRAWN IN BY SAID COMBUSTION AIR FAN, REFRIGERANT EXPANSION MEANS, SAID COMPRESSOR AND SAID EVAPORATOR AND CONDENSER COILS BEING CONNECTED IN A REFRIGERATION CIRCUIT WITH SAID EXPANSION MEANS CONNECTED IN SAID CIRCUIT BETWEEN SAID CONDENSER AND EVAPORATOR COILS. 